Drabbles, Deleted Scenes, and Discarded Stories
by Gwydion
Summary: A place for all of the above. Latest entry: Drabble 14: 3 Sentence Fics; Rating: K through T; Featuring 2012 April and Leo - "Sing", 1987 Donatello and Irma - "Hide", 2012 Raph and Splinter - "Safe", 2012 Karai and Mikey - "Drive", 2012 Casey and 1987 Casey - "Time", and 2007 Don and Raph - "Ghost".
1. Drabble 01: Fix This

A/N: I've been posting a few drabbles on tumblr, so I finally decided to put some of them up here. Some of these will be short, self contained stories while others may be connected to previous fics or even bits from stories I've abandoned for one reason or another. These will all be rated T or less, and any warning will be posted at the top of the page along with any other important information.

Now, with all of the exposition out of the way, on to the drabbles!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 01: Fix This**

Rating: T

Genre: Tragedy

Characters: Mikey, Donnie, Leatherhead

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"Donnie?"

It had seemed like such a good idea to Michelangelo at the time. He'd been visiting Leatherhead nearly every day since they'd first met, intent on proving to his new friend that he wasn't the monster everyone feared him to be. It hadn't taken long for the large alligator to open up to him, allowing himself his first ever real companion. Convincing his brothers of the fearsome looking mutant's true nature, though, had been proving very difficult.

"Donnie, can you hear me?"

Mikey had tried valiantly to get them to look past his terrifying exterior, but Leo remained suspicious, Raph would silently glare at him, and Donnie always stayed at a distance, nervous. Leatherhead's violent outbursts sadly didn't help his case. The young turtle could see he was trying, but the rest of his family only saw how dangerous he was.

"Come on, dude. Wake up!"

So when Donnie had asked around for a partner to help him search the nearby junkyard for Kraang tech and other components to better help in his research, Mikey had jumped at the opportunity. It was the perfect plan; convince Donnie to allow him to bring Leatherhead, who, having lived most of his life around the alien technology, would be sure to be an excellent helper, and while Mikey kept look out, his brother would see the gentle, helpful side of his best friend.

"I said wake up! This isn't funny, D!"

The one thing that Michelangelo hadn't calculated for was Leatherhead finding a fully intact Kraang droid under a pile of garbage. Everything had been going great. Donatello had seemed almost at ease once he realized how good the giant alligator was at spotting the foreign parts, and the two had even shared some light, if somewhat forced, small talk. But then Leatherhead's rage filled roar had split the night sky, the soulless eyes of a Kraang droid suddenly popping out at him as he had been haphazardly digging through the waste. His eyes had gone white, and, blind with fury, he'd done what the older turtle had dreaded most.

"Donnie, wake up! Please wake up! Oh no, no, no, no, no! Why won't you wake up!?"

Mikey had instantly jumped into action the second his brother's muffled cries had sounded from behind the clawed hand. Leatherhead had found his favorite target and began swinging the helpless turtle around by his face. His attention completely focused on calming his friend down, he never even heard he sudden snap or noticed when his brother's cries had abruptly stopped.

"Donnie… It wasn't supposed to go like this… This was supposed to make things better… You can't be… You just can't…!"

As the rage had passed, the large mutant had gently lay Donatello on the ground, but it was too late. The turtle's head drooped at an unnatural angle as Mikey had scooped him into his trembling arms, willing him back to life. But the only sound emanating from the small group was the mournful cries of a baby brother finally realizing his older sibling was broken beyond repair. In his attempt to save his friend, he'd lost a brother.

"Michelangelo… I am so sorry…"

* * *

A/N: Silver Star Pack will be happy to know I didn't kill Mikey this time...


	2. Drabble 02: Cat Trap

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 02: Cat Trap**

Rating: K

Genre: Family

Characters: Raph, Mikey

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Raphael sat stiffly in his recliner and eyed the orange ball of fur that Michelangelo held out to him with a frown that seemed to perfectly accentuate the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth.

"I just said that I'm heading topside after this movie. You really think I'm gonna babysit one of your millions of cats?"

"But that's perfect!" Before his older brother had a chance to protest further, Mikey unceremoniously dropped the cat onto the blanket on his lap, ignoring the grunt of displeasure and deepening scowl on Raph's face. "By the time your movie's over, I'll be done with dinner, and then I can feed both her and us. It's only for fifteen minutes, and tonight's dinner will be so worth it, you'll see," he added, his blue eyes as bright at 80 as they had been at 15.

The older turtle rolled his remaining eye and groaned. The many creases on his face had long ago been etched into his skin thanks to years of dealing with his often obnoxious youngest brother's antics.

"I told you, I'll find something for dinner while I'm out. Have you even heard a word I said all night?" The cat on his lap threw back her ears as the cranky turtle raised his voice.

"I know what you said," replied Mikey as he turned and began walking back toward the kitchen with a limp, "I might be old, but I'm not deaf."

Raph snorted. "Coulda fooled me."

"What?"

"I said I'm not eating any more of that awful diet food Leo's got ya on."

Waving a wrinkled hand in the air without even bothering to turn around, Mikey shouted back in an amused voice, "You'll see!"

As his brother hobbled into the kitchen and out of sight, Raph turned his dark gaze to the intruder on his lap. The cat was merely looking at him expectantly, ignoring the large turtle's menacing glare. With a defeated sigh, he nestled further into his recliner.

"Fine," he mumbled, lifting one of his aged, calloused hands to scratch the small animal's head. She instantly began purring contentedly in response before settling down on the muscular, old legs in a fluffy heap.

Returning his attention to the movie, Raph watched half-heartedly as the generic action hero saved the day, subconsciously stroking the soft, orange fur. The vibrations from the cat's engine-like purring were relaxing, and he could feel his legs falling asleep underneath the warm body, and as the credits began to roll, he found he no longer had any desire to move from his comfortable position. He let out an irritated sigh. With Leo and Donnie out, Mikey of course had hoped he would be staying in the lair for one night. He hadn't planned to, but it would seem he'd fallen into his younger brother's trap to change his mind.

Before he could stubbornly kick the cat off of him so he could stretch out his stiff legs for a "you won't trick me that easily" run, a tantalizing scent that he hadn't smelled in years tickled his nostrils. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn it was…

"Dinner is served!"

The grumpy, old turtle looked on in amazement as Mikey limped back into the room with a playful grin, a twinkle in his eyes, and a freshly made pizza in his hands. He could feel his mouth watering as the spicy, greasy aroma wafted all around him.

"Is that pepperoni?" The awe would have been plenty evident from his voice even if not for his wide, staring eye.

Mikey nodded proudly and placed the tray down on top of a hot pad on the table. "And hot fudge."

Raph tore his hungry gaze away from the pizza to cock an eyeridge at his brother. "Where on earth did you get that? Or anything to make pizza with, for that matter," he asked as he absentmindedly laid a hand on the orange cat's neck as the feline rose to it's feet, clearly just as interested in the rare treat as he was.

"It pays to be the favorite uncle," Mikey replied with a grin and a wink as he sat on the couch and reached for a slice.

With a smirk, Raph grabbed his own piece, making sure to keep it well out of his hungry visitor's way. "You had Shadow smuggle it all down? Better hope Leo doesn't find out or you'll be back on Phase 1 of your diet."

Taking his first bite, Mikey let out a contented moan, savoring the taste. "Even if all I could eat was carrots and water for two weeks, you can't tell me it's not worth it."

"Then maybe I should just go ahead and tell him."

"Did you say something? I don't think I heard you," said Mikey as he shoved another bite into his mouth and shot a dark look at his older brother.

With a chuckle, Raph followed the younger's lead and took a large bite out of his own slice. Once Leo had forced the entire family to eat healthier - Michelangelo's diet being especially harsh - he never thought he'd taste his baby brother's homemade pizza again. It had been for their own good, of course, but Mikey was right, some things were worth the risk.

Several more cats appeared, the smell having finally lured them out of hiding, and the younger turtle graciously threw them a few pieces of pepperoni he'd brought especially for them. The orange cat finally left the old turtle's lap to join her brothers and sisters in their feasting, but Raph remained firmly seated in his soft chair, casually licking sauce from his wrinkled fingers.

"So did you wanna watch a movie or what?"

Mikey smirked as he turned toward his brother at the sudden question. "I thought you were going out tonight."

Raph rolled his eye. "As if you didn't plan for things to work out like this. Now hurry up and put something on before I change my mind."

Pushing himself up off of the couch with a laugh, Mikey hobbled over to grab the remote before slumping back down. With the press of a button, their online movie catalog flashed before their eyes, and once they settled on a classic monster movie, they both sat with their gaze glued to the TV, enjoying the night of good food and good company. The streets could wait for tomorrow. Tonight it was just Raphael, his baby brother, and a whole lot of cats.

* * *

A/N: Something happy to follow up the sad last drabble. Mikey would totally adopt every stray cat he could find upon his crime fighting retirement, and Raph would secretly be ok with that.


	3. Deleted 01: Empty Fish Tank - Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Spoilers for my fic "Empty Fish Tank".

**Deleted Scene 01: Empty Fish Tank - Epilogue**

Rating: K

Characters: Leonardo

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Leonardo fell asleep the night of Donatello's death knowing he wouldn't be far behind. All of his family was now gone, and there was no one left to live for. So when he awoke feeling more at peace than he could ever remember, he couldn't help but be surprised.

Opening his eyes, he found not his dark room but instead a bright warmth radiating around him. He found his eyes needed no time to adjust to the sudden light, and his body held none of it's usual aches and pains. But before he could think on it further, he heard a voice call from behind him.

"Leonardo."

And suddenly his peace had turned to utter joy. Turning around, eyes wide, he saw before him faces he hadn't seen outside of photographs for many, many years. Master Splinter, Raphael, Michelangelo, Karai, April, Casey... everyone he'd ever loved that had gone on before him. But his eyes fell to Donatello, and it was instantly apparent that the fog that had clouded his mind for so long had lifted. In fact, they all stood as he best remembered them - young and in peek condition.

And as his father held out his hand, Leonardo ran, embracing his family as they finally welcomed him home.

* * *

A/N: Wrote this for RascalKat. I love writing sad stories, but I don't like people to be sad.


	4. Discarded 01: The Price of Jealousy

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Would have taken place and broken canon some time after The Alien Agenda but before Karai's Vendetta.

**Discarded Story 01: The Price of Jealousy**

Rating: K+

Genre: Drama

Characters: Raph

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Raphael had lost track of just how long he'd been wandering the alleyways and rooftops, hiding in shadows. He'd been running on anger and adrenaline for so long, but after what he could only guess to be weeks, his poor diet and restless sleep were beginning to wear on him. Thoughts of his home in the sewers tempted him to return, but every time they did, he would remind himself that he was no longer welcome there. It also hadn't helped that the Foot Clan had developed the unpleasant habit of showing up when he felt most vulnerable.

At first he had welcomed the distraction, taking out his anger violently on any ninja who dared approach him. He couldn't be bothered to pull his punches, to take care not to fatally injure anyone. He fought with an animalistic instinct he'd kept under wraps since Master Splinter first taught him ninjutsu. At the end of every fight, he refused to acknowledge the bodies strewn around him, not caring if they were dead or alive. There were never more Foot Ninjas than he could handle, but as the nights dragged on, the fights would grow longer, and his stamina waned. Raph was aware that his movements were becoming more sluggish, but he ignored it, forcing himself to believe that if he could have one filling meal, a few hours of peaceful sleep, he would be back to normal, his strength returned.

The mutant turtle was convinced that tonight would finally be that night. After hours of scouring the rooftops looking for a place to rest before the moonless, overcast sky released a torrential downpour, at last he found what he had been searching for. A small, worn down, unlocked shed beckoned him, the door creaking on its hinges in the wind. He pretended to not notice the relief that washed over him as he made to jump onto the roof that promised him safe haven through the morning, but at the last second, something stopped him.

Raphael drew his sais cautiously, immediately on edge while he tried to pinpoint exactly what had alerted his senses. His eyes scanned the alley below, but nothing seemed out of place. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves, focusing entirely on his other senses. It didn't take long before some strange yet familiar sounds reached his ears. There were definitely people down there somewhere, but he knew better than to assume that your average human moved with such swift, muffled steps. However it was the other noise that made him curious - a quiet hissing sound that was accompanied by a strong smell.

Raph hesitated. If the Foot was up to something, he would likely get caught in the middle if he started snooping around. Should that happen, he might as well kiss his dreams of a quiet rest goodbye. But if they truly were nearby, then it was possible they had been following him the whole night anyway and were simply waiting for their moment to strike.

A heavy sigh escaped the turtle's lips and his shoulders slumped from exhaustion. In the midst of battle he would never admit to being at his breaking point, but alone on a roof at night with ninjas below him and rain threatening from above, the thought finally crossed his tired mind. Again he began recalling his nights back home in the sewer, in his own bed, surrounded by his father and brothers. His pride attempted to push them away, but for once his mind would focus on nothing else.

The anger and pain he had felt before suddenly seemed so trivial. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to think about Mikey, Donnie, and even Leo. He'd known them his entire life. They were his brothers, his family, and the four of them had trained together every day. Before a couple of months ago, they were a practically inseparable team. So just how had things gotten so messed up?

He of course knew the answer, but after running for so long, he didn't want to face it. He could blame Leo for his arrogance and stubbornness. He could blame Casey for opening his big mouth. He could even blame Mikey and Donnie for taking Leo's side in an argument they didn't understand. But in the end, he knew it all came back to one thing, and that was his own petty jealousy.

This entire mess was his fault, and deep down he'd known that all along.

* * *

A/N: This was actually the first TMNT fanfiction story I ever came up with, but I ended up never writing more than this because I realized it had a lot of flaws and odd coincidences. I won't go into any details, but it branched off from canon with Leo's training progressing much faster than Raph's, and Raph getting jealous, running topside, and meeting Casey. From there Raph gave in to his temper, made some dumb mistakes, and unintentionally alienated the others until he decided to run off. In the end he realized he was in the wrong, and his brothers found him and brought him back home. He and Leo made up, Casey was welcomed into the Turtle Club, and all was well... unless I decided to go the route where Raph died and the others just found his dead body, but let's go with the happy ending for now, yeah?

I am sad about one thing, though - I would have gotten to write characters like Karai, Xever, and Rat King in this, not to mention the Kraang. I feel that would have been a lot of fun. I should do that sometime...


	5. Drabble 03: Cold Comfort

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 03: Cold Comfort**

Rating: K+

Characters: Raph, Spike/Slash

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He awoke to a quiet stillness. With deep, slow breaths, he laboriously attempted to peel his eyes open after what must have been a very heavy sleep. As his eyelids first cracked open, however, he found bright, warm sunlight filtering in through some blinds over a window. Squeezing them shut once again, he took another deep breath before trying once more. After he had finally adjusted to the light, he blinked tiredly and gazed around him.

He was lying on a dusty, wooden floor inside a sparsely furnished room. The air was cool, but carried with it the scent of something delicious. Turning his head curiously, he quickly spied some food and water not far from where he lay. Lifting himself up off of the floor, he crawled over to it, the empty feeling in his stomach urging him forward. Opening his mouth wide, he began devouring the meal as fast as he could swallow his large bites.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

For some reason the voice put him on edge and he stopped eating to glance around the room. In a shadowed corner sat a large turtle with a mask on his face. It was a familiar sight, one that sent warnings off in his head of impending danger, and he was instantly still, staring at the turtle awaiting any sudden moves.

"Don't stop. Go on, eat."

He leaned forward slowly, lowering his masked face so the two were nearly eye to eye. But as the large turtle reached a three fingered hand out to him, he shrunk back, the warnings in his head growing louder. The cause of his distress merely smiled.

"It's alright. I wouldn't hurt you."

The voice was calm, but that did little to ease his fears. This turtle was a predator. He'd seen it with his own eyes. Or at least he thought he had. It was all very fuzzy.

"I guess I can't blame you. You've been through a lot tonight. But from now on, I'm going to be taking care of you."

Pushing a bit of food in his direction, the masked turtle continued to talk in a soothing voice. Distracted once again by the smell of food, he inched forward against his better judgement and slowly took another bite. The large turtle's smile widened as he gained confidence, once again accepting the sweet smelling offering.

"That's it. I know it's not your normal breakfast, but you'll get used to it."

As the other occupant of the room continued to speak in a relaxed tone, he made quick work of his meal. Once he'd finished, he turned to the water, drinking it with just as much gusto. When he was finally done, he took in a satisfied breath and lay back down.

"There now. See? I'm not such a bad guy."

Lulled into a momentary state of comfort, he didn't notice the hand again reaching for him until it was too late. As he felt himself being picked up, his first instinct was to bite at the nearest digit, but he found it just out of reach. Looking back up he found himself staring into intense green eyes, alarms blaring in his head to escape.

"Still feisty, I see. Some things never change, do they?"

The crooked smile on his face seemed much more menacing up close. As attacking the giant turtle was clearly not an option, the only other thing to do was go on the defensive.

"You know, I'm going to have to thank Donatello for that batch of retromutagen. I always wanted a pet of my own."

Even with his head and legs tucked into his shell, he could still hear the change in the voice. It was as calm as ever, but the tone had shifted. No longer was it soothing. It now had a distinct cruelty to it that made him close his eyes in fear.

"And don't you worry about your brothers, Raphael. I'm going to make sure to take good care of them."

The laughter that followed sent shivers down his spine.


	6. Drabble 04: The Mysterious Package

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 04: The Mysterious Package**

Rating: K

Genre: Family

Characters: Mikey, Donnie

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Glancing around him cautiously, making sure he was truly alone, Mikey quickly ducked into Donnie's lab, his eyes searching for his target.

"Aha!"

He snapped his jaws shut and whirled around to face the doorway, but as the seconds passed, no one came to investigate the sudden shout, and he turned back to the object on his older brother's desk. Rubbing his hands together with an evil grin, he tip toed over to it, his gaze never leaving the rectangular package. It had already been opened, but the contents, whatever they were, were still inside.

"Let's see what you've been hiding, D."

A few days ago, April had come to visit them in the lair, except this time she had a special delivery for Donnie. Only the two youngest turtles had been in the common area at the time, but the elder had rushed over to her, thanked her for bringing it, and then scurried off to his lab, slamming the door behind him. The behavior had been odd enough to peek Mikey's interest - Donnie never hid away when April was around - but when she had explained that his brother had asked if he could have a package shipped to her address, never telling her what was in it, he became obsessed.

Over the course of the last couple of days, Mikey had made it his mission to find out what was in the package. Donnie avoided the topic at all costs, acting almost embarrassed when the young turtle had asked him about it directly, so that left one alternative - opening it and seeing for himself.

This had proved to be quite the task for the hyperactive ninja. Their resident genius was very protective of his lab, and since the package arrived, he almost never left it. Which meant a lot of waiting, and waiting was something he hated doing. But just as he was contemplating simply rushing in, grabbing it, and bolting for his room, Donnie unexpectedly emerged, heading for the kitchen. Mikey had wasted no time capitalizing on his good fortune.

Reaching down, he carefully picked the package up off of the desk. He hadn't gotten a good look at it initially, but it was smaller than he thought it would be. His first guess was that it was some secret gift for April, hence why he was so flustered when she brought it, but looking at it, he could instantly tell that it was a book, and likely the dull, informative kind, judging by the size and thickness.

"Ooh, I wonder if it's about getting a girl to like you," he muttered with a laugh, picturing his older brother poring over a copy of "Romance for Dummies".

But as he pulled the heavy book from the cardboard box, it was immediately obvious that it wasn't anything half that interesting. Tossing the box aside, he held the hardback book in his hands with a frown.

"This is just a normal, boring, sciencey book," he said, slumping his shoulders in disappointment, "I can't even read half the words on the cover!"

"Mikey! What are you - "

The young turtle jumped, nearly dropping the book as he spun around to meet Donnie's wide eyed gaze. His brother was already in the process of stomping over to him, and before he could react, the large book was torn from his grasp.

"I told you this was none of your business, Mikey!" His face was screwed up into a harsh scowl as he towered over his youngest sibling before pushing past him to reach for the discarded box.

"But, why?" He watched in confusion as Donnie slid the book back into the package, threw it into a drawer on his desk, and slammed it closed. "You have, like, a ton of other books like that. Not like we're gonna make fun of you for one more."

Mikey watched as the other turtle paused, sitting down at his desk, eyes fixed on the screen before answering.

"Because this one isn't like the others. It's a college text book."

"Uh..." Unsure of how that was relevant, the younger turtle continued to stare blankly at Donnie until at last his older brother turned to him with a sigh.

"A college text book. You know, the required material necessary to take a given college course?"

"I know what it is, dude, but how is that..." Suddenly, Mikey's face lit up with understanding. "Wait, you mean you're actually, like, going to college or something?"

With another sigh, Donnie turned back to his computer and began typing.

"A few months ago, someone online directed me to this scholarship program where a university was accepting essays based on - " he shot the young turtle a look " - 'sciencey stuff', so I gathered up some of my notes, compiled them into essay format, and sent it in. I had to use falsified identification, of course, but I didn't really think anything of it. It was just a way of getting some of my findings out there, you know? But I eventually heard back from them, and, well, turns out I got the scholarship. I didn't think I could use it, of course, but it turns out they had a variety of online courses, so I signed up for one."

Leaning back from his computer, he directed the younger turtle's gaze to the screen. Mikey leaned in, his blue eyes growing wide as he read the college acceptance letter for one Donnie Hamato. A bright grin spread across his face.

"Dude, that's awesome!" he shouted as he bent down and wrapped his brother in an excited hug. He received a stunned look in return.

"You... you don't think it's kind of, I don't know, weird?"

"No way, bro!" Straightening back up, he clapped his brother's shoulder and gave him a vigorous shake. "You're a fifteen year old turtle that made it into college! Man, you're already so smart, just imagine how much smarter you'll be after this! You'll be, like, a hundred times smarter than the rest of us!" He paused, chuckling, and grinned. "Maybe even a thousand times smarter than Raph."

Donnie at last smiled, even offering a small laugh at the expense of his temperamental older brother. "Thanks, Mikey," he said sincerely, "but could we keep this just between us? I think I'd like to keep it a secret a while longer, at least."

Flashing a thumbs up, the young turtle nodded. "You got it, D. And if you ever need help with your homework, you know who to ask."

As Donnie chuckled at the offer, Mikey turned to leave. His curiosity of the mysterious package finally satisfied, he waltzed back into the common area and sat on the bench, ready to veg out in front of the TV. But just as he'd turned it on, April entered the lair. She waved at him with a smile.

"Hey, Mikey, do you know where Leo is? I've got this package for him..."

The young turtle couldn't hold back a groan as the turtle in question swiftly entered the room, took the box, and retreated to his room.

"Not again!"


	7. Drabble 05: Special Gift

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 05: Special Gift**

Rating: K

Genre: Family

Characters: Mikey, Raph

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He knew it was an accident. He knew that if he looked up he'd see guilt written all over Raph's face. But that didn't change the fact that Mikey's most cherished item from his childhood now lay shattered on the kitchen floor thanks to his older brother's inability to control his temper.

"Mikey... I - "

Plastering a smile on his freckled face that he knew didn't quite reach his eyes, Mikey turned his gaze from the ceramic pieces at his feet to his big brother.

"Nah, it's fine," he said as nonchalantly as possible, "It was just a mug. Don't worry about it, bro."

It was not just a mug. This was the very first gift that Master Splinter had given to him as a young turtle. Sure they had some shared toys and books, but it wasn't until their father had given them each their own unique cup that Mikey felt like he truly owned something. This wasn't something to share, something to be put back in the community toy box when he was done with it; it was his and his alone, and from that day on he made sure to take care of his only possession.

Over the years he'd gotten other gifts that were more fun or exciting, but for reasons he could never fully understand, he continued to cherish the little mug. Maybe it was the bright orange cat painted on the side that smiled up at him, but he refused to drink from anything else. Raph's had unsurprisingly broken long ago while Donnie's had gone missing and Leo's had been pushed to the back of the cupboard, forgotten, but still Mikey would always reach for his special cup.

If he was being honest with himself, the young turtle knew it was a miracle it had lasted as long as it did. He wasn't exactly the most graceful of their little family, and, being growing boys, there was almost always some sort of roughhousing going on throughout the lair. But that didn't make him feel better as he brushed the broken pieces into the dust pan and dumped them in the trash, trying to ignore the ever cheerful stare of the orange cat despite losing it's lower half in the accident.

Mikey could practically feel Raph's unease, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't think of the words. He tried again to placate his older brother with assurances that it was fine and all was forgiven, but he could tell he wasn't buying it. So he did the only thing he could think of: he pretended to see a cockroach. This effectively shooed away "strangely apologetic" Raph and gave way first to "scared stiff" Raph and then, upon figuring out he was lying, "when I catch you, I'm gonna smack you so hard, you little - " Raph.

Over the course of the next week or so, time went by as if nothing had changed. A wave of sadness would rush over Mikey every time he opened the cupboard and didn't see his special cat mug staring back at him, but it would pass, and life in the lair went on as usual. He remained his normal cheerful, obnoxious self, until he woke up one morning to a surprise sitting on the crate at the end of his bed.

Rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him, he blinked as he stared at the two mugs before him. One was clearly brand new and in pristine condition with four photos he'd taken of Ice Cream Kitty professionally printed on the outside. The other was his old, broken cup. Aside from a few small chips missing, it had been carefully reconstructed and glued back together. It was clearly unusable for actually drinking out of, but his beloved orange cat smiled back at him all the same.

There was no note, but it was obvious who had snuck into his room and left them there.

A large grin already on his face, he carefully picked up the cracked mug and placed it gently on his shelf. Once he was satisfied with it's positioning amongst his action figures and other random collected items, he snatched up his new mug and trotted out the door, suddenly feeling very thirsty.

* * *

A/N: Believe it or not, this was based on the same prompt as the first drabble, "Fix This", except with Raph instead of Leatherhead. Go figure.


	8. Discarded 02: Shattered

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Would have deviated from canon after Wormquake (though that's not relevant here).

**Discarded Story 02: Shattered (Prologue: Hymn for the Missing)**

Rating: T (mild language)

Genre: Drama, Angst

Characters: Raph

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I'm sorry.

That's all I can think to say to you right now. Everything else just feels like excuses. But I just can't do it anymore. After all this time, I'm finally giving up.

I fought it for a long time, probably longer than I should have. But I wasn't ready to give it up just yet. My timing got slower, my arms got weaker, hell, I think my brain even shrivled a bit. But I ignored all of that. I didn't want to admit that I couldn't do it, because doing that meant facing the facts. And the fact is that you're gone. And no matter how hard I tried, that was the one thing I couldn't change.

I thought I did everything right, you know? Right for us. All of us. Thought it wouldn't matter what I did because if this worked, we'd all be together in the end. But it kept getting harder and harder. I'd pretend like it wasn't, that every time was just like the first time. I'd pretend I was in control. Just once more. Every time, just once more.

But it finally happened. I came up against something I couldn't just push out of the way like it didn't exist. It's real, and I'm going to be reminded of just how real it is every day of the life I have left. And that's when it finally hit me. And I mean that literally - Casey still had to smack me around a bit for it to completely sink in. But I finally realized that it was over. I wasn't a teenager any more. I couldn't just keep going and pretend that I was fine.

I always told myself that it didn't matter what happened to me so long as I found you. I still believe that, but it's just not enough. Even if you have the drive to accomplish something, you've still gotta have the ability. And I'm learning that once you lose that, everything else goes with it.

If I knew where you were, I'd bring you back in a heartbeat. But I don't. And now that I can't even go out and look for you anymore, I can't help but find myself thinking about how useless and pointless it all was.

But I know it wasn't. I failed, but I tried. And I think that's what makes it all the harder.

Every time I went back to reset the beacon, I managed to stay hidden. That is, every time but the last time. The last time I saw something I never thought I'd see again. I saw us - all four of us - together. We looked so happy, so young. And that did it. All this time I'd been lying to myself, convincing myself that I'd find you and everything would be alright. I kept it all in because of that stubborn determination. But once it was gone, I couldn't hold it back any more. I started bawling like a little baby because I knew that was the last time I'd ever see you again.

You'd laugh if you saw me now. You'd tell me what an idiot I am for letting myself get like this. You'd tell me I'm a mess, ask me how the hell I let things get so messed up. But you'd also somehow manage to make me smile, something I haven't done in ages. You'd tell me that everything is going to be alright, and I'd believe you.

But you're not here, and all I can say is I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't find you. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry I couldn't try harder. I'm just so sorry.

But you know what I'm most sorry about? I'm sorry I never told you just how important you are to me. I'd give anything just to be able to tell you that right now. You're my brother, and I'd do anything for you. I just wish I knew you knew that.

I love you, baby brother.

I'm sorry.

\- Raph

* * *

A/N: Calling this "discarded" is a bit misleading. I still think about it every once in a while, but I've been planning it for over a year, and yet it's still just collecting dust. I would like to tackle it someday, but I'm not sure when or if I'll ever feel up to it. It's got a bunch of complicated time travel involved with a lot of intricate details that keep messing with other intricate details, and I am determined to not have any weird plot holes before I dive into it. But the basic gist is Mikey accidentally gets transported to who-knows-exactly-where-or-when in time, and Raph decides to go looking for him. This bit is an early version of the prologue, and since it's already up on tumblr anyway, I figured I'd put it up here too. Ah, maybe someday...


	9. Drabble 06: We Could Be Heroes

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 06: We Could Be Heroes**

Rating: K+

Genre: Drama

Characters: Raph, Mikey

.

"Mikey, I told you, there's nothing we can do, now come on!"

But his little brother wasn't listening to him. His blue eyes were fixated on the apartment complex with flames shooting out of the windows. Even two buildings away Raphael could feel the heat, the smoke billowing ominously in the sky. In the distance, sirens sounded, indicating the fire trucks were on their way to the scene.

"We gotta at least check!"

And that was all the warning he was given before Michelangelo dove off the edge and over to the next rooftop, sprinting toward the burning building. With a resigned groan, the older turtle swiftly followed. If Mikey was dead set on going, there was no way he was letting him go alone.

As he ran up to his younger brother, he held a hand to his face. The wind was blowing the smoke almost directly toward them, and the heat was practically unbearable. There was no way they could stay here.

"We gotta move," said Raph with a cough, "if you wanna get a better look then fine, but we'll have to do it somewhere else."

But Mikey wouldn't move, his body tense. "No, wait! You hear that?"

Doing as he was told, he carefully listened, but it didn't take long for him to identify what had grabbed his little brother's attention. The terrified cries of a child were sounding from inside the top floor of the burning complex. Glancing toward the nearby street where former tenants and random neighbors and passersby had gathered, it was easy to identify the mother of the lost child. Tears were streaming down her face as she fought with another woman, trying to get back inside, two small children already clinging to her legs. The fire trucks were just turning the corner.

His green eyes narrowed in determination. "Let's go."

Mikey needed no prodding as he instantly dove toward the window, a nunchunk already in his right hand. Reaching for the tiny ledge just underneath, he grabbed onto it tightly with his left hand before smashing through the glass with his weapon. By that point Raph had landed next to him and reached an arm inside, carefully feeling around and unlatching the broken window before shoving it open.

The two turtles quickly jumped inside, gasping at the intense heat. The cries had quieted, though whether that was due to injury or shock from seeing walking turtles armed with ninja weapons Raph couldn't be sure. Ducking low to get beneath the smoke, he pulled Mikey down with him, indicating that the younger turtle go left while he search right.

Heading for the bed, thinking the child might have hidden underneath, Raph couldn't help but be thankful that this room in particular wasn't completely engulfed in flames, though judging by the black smoke seeping through the cracks in the door frame, they didn't have much time. Upon reaching the bed, his eyes darted around, looking for evidence of a small child, but unfortunately found none. He was surprised, however, when his gaze fell on a ball of fur huddled in the far corner.

"Great," he muttered, knowing he couldn't just leave the small animal behind. Taking a deep breath, he stood, the smoke stinging his eyes as he pulled the heavy bed away from the wall as much as he could before jumping on top and peering down into the corner. A small, frightened cat was meowing up at him, and he swiftly scooped it up.

"Don't worry, I gotcha."

"Raph! I found him!"

No sooner had Mikey's voice reached him than flames began licking underneath the door, lapping hungrily at the plush carpet.

"Good, 'cause we gotta go! Now!" he yelled, grabbing Mikey's arm and pulling him along behind him, noting the all too still child in his younger brother's grip.

The open window had thankfully lured some of the smoke outside, but standing upright with the flames at their heels, both turtles couldn't hold back their coughing as they tumbled to the window and pulled out their grappling hooks. Firing them off toward the fire escape on the next building, they quickly slid down to the metal platform, gasping at the relatively clean air as the smoke rose above them. Glancing back up at the window, Raph could see flames leaping out from inside the small room, grateful they had made it out before suffering any severe burns.

"Raph! He's not breathing! What do we do!?"

Mikey's frantic cries broke through the roar of the fire and shouting from the commotion below as the firefighters did their best to put out the blaze. Taking a closer look at the boy, Raph noticed that the area around his nose and mouth seemed to have minor burns, and he was covered in soot.

"He was hiding in his closet, but it had all this smoke inside of it, and he was already unconscious when I got to him - "

"Here."

Cutting his brother off, Raph deposited the small cat in Mikey's arms and took the boy, laying him down on his back. He wasn't very good at this, but he knew his sibling was in no condition to administer CPR, and so he put his hands on the child's body and began chest compressions. He carefully counted in his head before tilting the boy's head back, pinching his nose, and breathing fresh air into his lungs.

Repeating the steps, he had no idea if it was actually working or not. He tried to ignore Mikey's anxious fidgeting next to him, concentrating on making sure he was doing it correctly, but the longer he continued, the less likely it seemed like it was having any effect. Just as he was about to give up, however, weak coughs erupted from the small child and he began taking in quick, rasping breaths.

"You did it!" shouted Mikey happily as Raph carefully pulled the boy into his arms.

"Come on, we gotta get him somewhere the humans will find him."

The little turtle nodded happily, cat in hand, as the two descended the fire escape as quickly as possible. Raph was grateful that the little boy appeared to be too dazed to properly register exactly who - or what - was carrying him, and as they reached street level, he gently rested him against the building, Mikey plopping the cat down on his lap. Motioning for his younger brother to open the nearby manhole cover, Raph peeked around the corner of the building.

"Hey! There's a kid over here who needs help!" he yelled before swiftly ducking back into the alley and down into the sewers below. Keeping the manhole cover cracked open just enough so that he could see out, he breathed a sigh of relief as several people ran over to the small boy, including the hysterical mother who quickly pulled him and the cat into a tight hug. Lowering the lid, he dropped down into the sewer tunnel with a smile.

"Did you see that?" Raph turned to look at his baby brother's excited face. "We just saved that kid and his cat! We are so awesome! And you - you _literally_ brought him back to life, dude! Aw, man, I am so pumped right now!"

Unable to hide a smile at the little turtle's exuberance, Raph reached out and flung an arm around his shoulders, giving him a quick squeeze.

"We were pretty awesome," he said, "But I think I've had enough excitement for one night. Whaddya say we head home so I can kick your butt at that new video game Donnie found?"

A competitive gleam sparkled in Mikey's eyes as they began their trek back to the lair. "You're on, bro!"

* * *

A/N: So much Raph and Mikey lately! Quite a few requests were for the two of them, not that I'm complaining! Also lots of cats, but that was my own doing.


	10. Deleted 02: Let Me Save You - Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Spoilers for my fic "Let Me Save You".

**Deleted Scene 02: Let Me Save You - Epilogue**

Rating: K

Genre: FLUFF, Family

Characters: Mikey, Raph, Leo, Donnie, Splinter

.

Over time, Leo and Donnie had learned to stop asking about the pizza. When Raph would always make sure to set aside a slice of triple cheese, jelly bean, and jalepeño during meals, heating it up if it was cold, they now silently pretended to not notice, unwilling to think about who they knew it was for.

But Raph wasn't about to break his promise, and when one day, over a year after Mikey had blasted off into space to single handedly destroy the Technodrome, the young turtle casually entered the lair and asked where his pizza was as if not a day had passed, the older turtle held up the slice and smiled.

"Sorry, bro. You're late. Woulda been warm if you'd shown up two hours ago."

Raph was certain that the happy, tearful laughter he received in return was the best sound he'd ever heard.

Upon hearing the commotion, Leo and Donnie had scrambled into the common area, their inner war of disbelief and hope clear on their faces. But both emotions were soon replaced with joy as they ran up to their long lost little brother to welcome him home with tears in their eyes. Leo was berating him for taking on such a dangerous plan alone and praising him for destroying the Kraang spaceship in the same breath while an endless flow of questions poured out of Donnie's mouth as he looked him over for any injuries.

Watching from his seat on the couch with a relaxed smile, Raph couldn't help but notice the changes in his baby brother. He'd grown taller - a fact the young turtle was particularly proud of as he teased Donnie for shrinking - but he'd also put on some muscle. All of his once rounded features had a sharper, more toned appearance, and he was also sporting some new scars as well. But the one thing that hadn't changed was his boyish face, his blue eyes as bright and youthful as ever above the happy grin that refused to fade.

It was then that Master Splinter slowly entered the room, his face unreadable. Mikey trotted over to him, but before he could bow before his sensei, his father wrapped him in a warm hug. It was quickly returned, and as tears fell from both of their eyes, Splinter spoke to him softly, repeating over and over how so very proud he was of his youngest son.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur. They all sat and listened as Mikey recounted the highlights of his harrowing journey through six different dimensions before finally finding his way back to earth. Donnie, of course, asked the most questions, completely fascinated by - and not so secretly jealous of - his little brother's travels. But while he was most interested in the terrain and technology, Leo was more intrigued by the stories of the strange, sometimes frightening, sometimes welcoming, creatures he'd met along the way. As Mikey happily answered their questions, Raph remained silent. He merely listened intently, his gaze never leaving the young turtle.

After calling April and Casey to inform them of Mikey's homecoming and invite them down to the lair the next day to celebrate, the ever energetic turtle declared that what he wanted most at this very second was to marathon a ton of cheesy B movies and scarf at least two pizzas all by himself. Despite the late hour, his brothers all agreed to one movie and two pizzas to split amongst the four of them. Splinter wished them a good night, informing them that tomorrow would be a rare day off, much to their delight, and left them huddled together on the floor of the pit in front of the TV.

As random monster noises and loud screams filled the room, the brothers sat still, each refusing to move and break the physical contact between them. But as the movie reached it's climax, soft snores could be heard coming from the older turtles, and Mikey couldn't help but smile, the sound a reassuring reminder of their presence. The youngest, however, still being used to the time difference from the last dimension he'd come from, was anything but tired, and as the credits finished rolling, he carefully stood and went to the TV with the intent of putting on another.

He wasn't the only one still awake, however, and as Raph got up and walked over to his little brother, Mikey turned in surprise. He started to ask if the older turtle wanted another monster movie or a more typical action flick, but Raph wasn't listening. He cut the little turtle off as he abruptly yanked him to his chest and engulfed him in a tight hug. Pretending to not notice the wetness on his shoulder or the trembling of his usually gruff older brother's body, Mikey returned the hug. The two stood in silence for a moment until at last Raph opened his mouth to speak, not caring that his voice cracked over four simple words he'd been holding in for more than a year.

"Welcome home, little brother."

* * *

A/N: By POPULAR demand, haha. See? Everyone's back together and happy - enjoy!


	11. Drabble 07: Life is Like a Video Game

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 07: Life is Like a Video Game**

Rating: K

Genre: Friendship, Romance

Characters: April, Mikey

.

With a sigh, April unceremoniously plopped herself down on the bench across from the TV. She'd just entered the hidden, sewer lair to find only Mikey in the common area, currently engrossed in one of their old video games. The door to Donnie's lab was shut tight, she smelled incense coming from the dojo and guessed that Leo and Splinter were in the midst of meditation, and Raph was no where in sight, likely holed up in his room. Not even Casey had been able to join her on her trek down. As she watched the youngest turtle guide his bare-chested hero through a dense forest, picking up various power ups for his massive gun and killing everything in sight in bloodless 8 bit fashion, she thought about asking if she could join in, but something told her he was a little too engrossed to stop now. And so she sat quietly, her eyes fixed on the screen but her mind far away.

"You keep sighing like that and someone might just think you wanna talk."

The sudden statement startled April out of her thoughts. She stared at Mikey whose attention was still on the TV in front of him but wore a playful smile on his face. Had she really been sighing that much?

"Sorry," she said, "I guess I've been kind of distracted lately."

"Well, don't hold back on me now, dudette," he replied in a sing-song voice as he gleefully destroyed the entrance to a fortified stronghold in the midst of the trees, gaining access to the inside, "Michaelangelo is all ears!"

With a soft chuckle, April's lips curled up in a half smile. "I don't think you'd be too interested. It's girl stuff."

Mikey frowned. "Does this have anything to do with punctuation? Because Donnie said something about girls having a really hard time with periods, like, every month."

Unable to completely hold back, she managed to contain her laughter into a single, sudden snort. "No, Mikey," giggled April as she watched his manly, gun-toting sprite blast through door after door of the compound, "It's not about punctuation. It's - it's about a guy."

The young turtle nodded sagely as he approached what appeared to be a deadly super computer and began firing. "A guy. That was my next guess! In movies, girls are always sighing over some guy."

Crossing her arms defensively, April remained quiet, not sure she really wanted to discuss the matter with Mikey of all people. But admittedly she didn't have any female friends, Leo was preoccupied, and Donnie, Casey, and Raph were out of the question. So when her friend reached out and nudged her with a probing, "So?" she made up her mind. Why not?

"There's this guy," she said slowly, eyeing the youngest turtle as he was transported to an area full of waterfalls and deadly boulders, "We're really good friends. I see him a lot, and we have fun together, but lately it feels like he's been avoiding me."

"Mm-hmm," said Mikey, prodding her to continue.

She paused. "Well, I say we're friends, but actually, I like him as more than just a friend." Glancing at the turtle, she did her best not to squirm or sound too embarrassed. It's not like this was anything to be ashamed of. "I thought he liked me the same way, but then he started acting weird. I've thought about just asking him, but it's... complicated."

"What's so complicated about that?"

Watching the TV, she saw the 8 bit man climb to the top of the mountain where a strange alien looking monster rained fireballs from what she assumed were it's hands, contemplating how to best answer the question.

"It's complicated because I'm not just close to him. I'm close to his family, too. And if it turns out I'm wrong, things might get weird between us, and I don't want that to get in the way of my friendship with him or his family." She sighed again. "I want to ask, but maybe I should just leave it alone. Maybe things are better as they are right now."

"Well, that doesn't sound like the April I know."

Tearing her gaze away from the screen as the monster's head exploded, gaining Mikey access to the next level, she stared in surprise at the young turtle who seemingly remained focused on his game.

"What do you mean?" she blurted out, trying not to sound offended.

"I mean that the April I know wouldn't just leave it alone," he explained as the muscular figure on the screen entered the next complex and again began taking down enemies and crashing through doors. "If she wanted an answer, she'd march up to the dude and get an answer. See this guy?" He nodded toward the screen. "He's got somewhere to be, and nothing's gonna stop him from getting there. Not a bunch of dudes shooting bullets or evil computers or giant, flame-throwing aliens. You're like him. And if you really want something, you'll go get it."

For the first time since she'd entered the lair, Mikey turned to her with an impish grin and a wink. "Personally I'd make sure to grab the 'S' upgrade on your way there. You can't miss with that spread shot."

As he turned back to the TV without even having missed a beat, April sat in silence, staring blankly at her friend. While she was a little skeptical about being compared to a buff, shirtless guy who ran around shooting things and picking flashing letters up off the ground, the fact that Mikey saw her as someone always willing to fearlessly fight for something she believed in made her chest swell with pride. She mulled over the young turtle's words as she watched him destroy everything that got in his way as he headed down a heavily guarded corridor, and as he reached another room with a large computer, she'd made her decision.

"You're right," she said firmly as she stood from the bench. "If I want to know how he feels, I've got to ask. I'll just have to deal with whatever happens once I get my answer." Jumping up and out of the pit, she leaned down and gave the turtle a light pat on his shell. "Thanks for the girl talk, Mikey."

Standing up, she took a deep, determined breath, and began marching toward her destination.

"You know Raph totally feels the same way and that you have nothing to worry about, right?"

Jolting to a halt mid-step, April slowly turned back just in time to see Mikey grinning excitedly at the screen as the super computer blew up and a small platform raised his Rambo wannabe to the next level. A snow covered landscape appeared on screen, and her friend again started shooting at everything in sight as if he hadn't spoken a word. A smile graced her lips nonetheless, and, her confidence renewed, she quickly made her way to Raphael's bedroom door and knocked.

* * *

A/N: Well, this was random. Couldn't sleep last night, and this popped out. I imagine it takes place sometime in the future after April has already let both Donnie and Casey down gently and while trying to give them space ended up hanging out more with Raph. Raph, having lived his whole life thinking humans could never love them and constantly telling Donnie as much, started distancing himself once he thought he was in too deep. I didn't really want to write that story, but for whatever reason this little exchange between April and Mikey was begging to come out. Bonus points to anyone that knows what game Mikey's playing.


	12. Drabble 08: Overjoyed

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Takes place about two years after "Solo", but it can stand on it's own as well. Titled after Matchbox Twenty's "Overjoyed" as it was in my head while writing this.

**Drabble 08: Overjoyed**

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance

Characters: Raph, April

.

Raphael hadn't planned on April grasping his face and planting a joyous kiss on his cheek when he'd given her the old drum set he'd saved from a dumpster as a birthday present. He hadn't planned on being invited to her house in order to have their weekly lessons without being interrupted by Donnie or Mikey every five minutes. And he most certainly hadn't planned on those nights routinely including enjoying popcorn and a movie as they sat next to each other on her worn out couch.

And yet there he sat, stiff as a board, as he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the fiery redhead resting peacefully on his shoulder after a long day living the life of a busy college freshman.

Try as he might, Raph was finding it impossible to focus on anything other than the warm weight leaning against his body. He took in everything as if his senses were heightened, from her soft intake and exhale of breath to the way her hair fell between his shoulder blade and shell. Glancing downward, he noticed her small, delicate human hands resting in her lap, her thigh pressed up against his own, and despite the fact that the entire right side of his body was touching hers, it wasn't enough.

The urge to reach out and hold her hand in his much larger one made his fingers twitch, but he refused to give in to the temptation. After all, he was not so delusional as to think that this close physical contact was anything but accidental, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare away one of his only human friends by overstepping her boundaries while she was sleeping. As it was, when she awoke it would merely result in a slightly awkward apology for having fallen asleep on him, and that was how he wanted it. What he did not want was to see a look of disgust on her freckled face at the idea of an inhuman mutant wanting to hold hands with her.

In truth, he knew deep down that he wanted to do more than simply hold her hand, but as even that small feat would forever remain beyond his reach, he pushed down all thoughts of wrapping his arm around her, pulling her against his chest, and kissing the top of her head. But as the seconds continued to tick away, his body craved to somehow be even more connected to hers and he eventually rationalized that if she woke to find his head leaning against hers he could say he'd merely fallen asleep as well, though he doubted he'd actually get any rest with the way his heart was pounding.

With a quiet sigh, he slowly, gently rested his cheek against her soft hair.

"Guess I know how Donnie used to feel," he murmured, the irony of how he used to tease his younger brother relentlessly about having the same sort of feelings for the same girl not failing to escape him.

"You can't really know how Donnie felt."

As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Raphael's head shot up and his entire body stiffened. Eyes wide, he stared as April lifted her head off of his shoulder and turned to look at him, her own blue eyes soft but very much awake. He blinked as he scrambled to come up with a reason for the words that had just escaped his mouth, but before his brain could produce anything helpful, he suddenly found the distance between their faces growing shorter and shorter until there was no space left between them.

It felt like the kiss was over before it had even started. He'd been far too shocked to even react, but as she pulled away he realized that somewhere along the line he'd forgotten to breathe, and he took in a deep breath, trying to get his racing heart under control. All the while April merely looked at him with a smile, her eyes revealing anything but disgust.

"You can't really know how Donnie felt because I never felt for him what I feel for you."

As the meaning behind her words finally began to sink in, the oppressive weight of doubt, cynicism, and fear that had clung to his desire to be loved and buried it deep inside of him lessened. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he felt her small, delicate hand reach for his and grasp it tightly. His self-imposed boundaries already crushed, he gently touched her face and leaned toward her, eager to give them both a first kiss worth remembering.

* * *

A/N: Ok. So. I've been MIA for the past few months due to other responsibilities, but starting next week, I was hoping to get back to writing, So I saw this post on tumblr with romance prompts and said, "Hey, I suck at romance. Why not get some practice in before diving into my Halloween fic?" So I asked for some suggestions from the list fully intending to write short drabbles for them next week... but I shirked my duties and wrote one anyway as it's apparently Raphril Week on tumblr and I had to join in on the fun. So. Yeah. I hope to be writing more again soon, and while there may be more romance drabbles on the way, I promise there are non-romance fics on the horizon as well (though in the case of my Halloween fic, that may not be a good thing?). I really did have a lot of fun with this, and would love some feedback!

PS April totally set the whole thing up and was sitting there like "COME ON" waiting for a chink to appear in his emotional armor so she could exploit it.


	13. Drabble 09: Speak Now or Forever Hold

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 09: Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace**

Rating: K+

Genre: Angst, Romance

Characters: April, Raph

.

Despite the fact that it had been almost a month since they had disappeared, April would still reach for her T-phone anxiously whenever she was alerted to an incoming call or text, hoping, praying to find one of them on the other end. Even with numbers she didn't recognize, she would always answer just in case they had lost their phones and were trying to reach her through other means. But it, like her attempts at tracking them down herself, seemed more and more to be in vain, and after snapping at countless telemarketers simply for not being who she wanted them to be, she looked forlornly at the latest unregistered number and took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

"...April?"

Her heart was instantly in her throat as a familiar voice sounded in her ear. "I- Raph!? _Oh my_\- What - where are you? Are you ok? Are the others with you?" She had a million questions but was cut off before any more could pour out of her mouth.

"You remember what I said last time? About... wanting to tell you something in person?"

For a moment she forgot to breathe. Of course she remembered. It was the last time she'd talked with him before he and his entire family had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, leaving the lair in an eerily pristine condition. The two of them had gotten into the habit of confiding in each other several months beforehand, so it wasn't strange for him to call her. His insistence that he had something he simply _had_ to say in person, on the other hand, was unusual, and if he was bringing that up now...

April took a deep, shuddering breath. "You can tell me when you come home, Raph. Right now I just need you to tell me where- "

"I really care about you, ya know."

Time seemed to screech to a halt.

"I mean... as more than just a friend. I know it's... kind of weird... me being a mutant turtle and all..." He was pausing awkwardly, his voice sounding ragged and tired. "But you don't have to say anything. I just... I just wanted to tell you... before- "

"I love you too, Raph." The words tumbled out of her mouth, not allowing him to finish his sentence. However he was planning to end it, she had no interest in hearing it, wanting to stay in this one moment as long as she could.

"April, you don't have to- "

"I mean it, Raph. I wouldn't lie about this."

In the short silence that followed, all she could hear on the other end of the line was the soft hum of machinery behind a shaky intake of breath quickly followed by what almost sounded like a laugh.

"Guess I should've said something sooner." Her eyes stung at the relief and sadness mixed together in his unusually soft voice.

"Raph, please. Just tell me where you are. Tell me, and I'll come get you. And if the others aren't with you we can find them together. Ok?"

The only response she received was that droning mechanical hum. Her heart beat quickened.

"Raph?"

She could feel her hands shaking as she gripped the phone like a vice, her knuckles white. But after another brief pause, his voice, weaker than before, broke through.

"Sorry, April. Looks like... I'm out of time."

"No!" she snapped fiercely, her blue eyes wet with unshed tears, "Stay with me, Raphael! Don't you dare talk like that!"

"It's ok, April... I... I won't make it back... But don't worry... about me..." The breathing on the other end of the phone was growing noticeably weaker. "I'm... I'm going to be seeing my family again... real soon..."

Tears finally dripped down her cheeks as she gasped. "The - the others... Leo, Donnie, Mikey, Master Splinter... y-you don't mean..."

Her words trailed off, unable to utter the thoughts her mind didn't want to accept. But as the moment dragged on, she realized that Raph's ragged breaths could no longer be heard.

"Raph!?" She sniffed loudly, lines of worry and sorrow etched into her face. "Raph!"

But as April covered her mouth with her free hand and sobbed into the T-phone, no response ever came.

* * *

A/N: I'll be honest, I'm not too sure how I feel about this one. My good friend and Turtle Buddy Diporae requested the prompt that spawned this one, and if you're a Raphril fan, you should definitely check her out. Hopefully this one lives up to your expectations, D!


	14. Drabble 10: Say It Isn't So

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

**Drabble 10: Say It Isn't So**

Rating: K

Genre: Humor

Characters: Mikey, Raph

.

"Augh! Isn't April here yet!? I'm so hungry I could eat the TV!"

Mikey lay upside down on the bench in front of said TV, his feet in the air and head hanging over the edge with his arms limp. With a pout, he cocked his head, studying the screen currently showing some movie he hadn't been paying any attention to.

No, perhaps not the TV. Too hard on his teeth.

Suddenly, the door to Donnie's lab opened, and out walked Raphael. The older turtle didn't seem to be aware of Mikey watching him, but the troubled look on Raph's face had instantly piqued the younger sibling's interest.

"Dude, you look like Donnie just told you the world's about to end," he called out, trying to lighten the mood.

As if noticing Mikey for the first time, his head jerked up with a surprised, "Huh?"

Repositioning himself to face his brother right side up, he decided to take a more direct approach. "Did something happen? You're lookin' kinda freaked out right now."

Mikey noticed Raph cross his arms, look away, and sigh. Uh-oh. He was using some of his defense mechanisms. Whatever had happened, he didn't want to talk about it which meant it was definitely not good.

After a brief pause where Raph seemed to be debating on whether or not he should say anything, he finally opened his mouth to speak, though the words came out a lot quieter than his usual loud, confident tone.

"Donnie just got a text from April."

"What?" Mikey shot up from his seat on the bench, eyes wide. "Is she ok? Did something happen?"

"No, no, nothing like that. She's fine, but..." Raph strode over toward where his younger sibling stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "...you might wanna sit back down for this."

Visibly gulping, Mikey straightened in defiance and tried not to look as nervous as he felt. "Whatever it is, I can take it. Just lay it on me, bro."

It was near impossible to not fidget as green eyes locked with his, studying him for any sign that he wasn't ready to hear whatever this devastating news was. But soon, Raph again sighed and looked away.

"April's on her way here, but you'll have to find something else to eat." Mikey felt his heart skip a beat. "It's Antonio's. It's - " Raph looked him straight in the eye. " - it's closed, Mikey."

"Closed?" He repeated the word, but somehow it still sounded so wrong. He could feel himself getting dizzy. "You mean, they're, like, remodeling or something? I-it's only a temporary thing... right?" He could feel all the blood drain from his face as Raph shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mikey. It's closed for good. A health violation, apparently - found a bunch of rats in the kitchen or something."

The strength in his legs abandoning him, the young turtle reached out and grasped Raph's shoulders tightly for support. He looked at his older brother with wide, pleading eyes, searching his face for any indication of a lie.

"No..." he whispered in disbelief, "I-I just ate their pepperoni, jelly bean, and hot fudge pizza yesterday! I - oh no... I-I didn't even savor it!" He leaned his head down on Raphael's chest, feeling his grip begin to shake as his voice became more frantic. "I just shoved it in my mouth like usual! It was gone in minutes - seconds, maybe! Gone... forever..."

He could feel Raph patting him on the shell with his right hand while trying to support him with his left. "I know, Mikey," his voice held a somber edge the younger turtle rarely heard, "I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you. But cheer up, huh? I mean, there are plenty of other pizza places in the city. I'm sure you'll - "

Michelangelo's head shot up, a dark expression on his face. "'Other pizza places'? How could you even say that to me right now! I just lost the one true treasure the world had to offer, and you want me to just go to 'other pizza places'? Where else will I find both peanut butter _and_ pickles as pizza toppings?" As the thought of all of the lost pizza topping combinations began to dawn on him, he felt his eyes grow moist and he once again buried his head against his older brother.

"I-I can't believe it's gone," he said as Raph stroked his shell soothingly, "I was even trying something new today - peanut butter, jelly bean, and garlic. Now I may never know what that tastes like." Mikey sniffed loudly. "I can almost smell it. That strong scent of garlic mixed with the sweetness of the - "

He closed his mouth abruptly and his eyes flew open. He sniffed the air again.

"Hey, guys! I - what's wrong with Mikey?"

The young turtle's head shot up immediately upon hearing April's voice and he snapped his eyes in her direction. She had a look of surprise on her face and a warm pizza in her hands. The box read "Antonio's Pizza". His brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth twisted downward, he slowly turned back to his older brother who was not trying very hard to hide a devilish grin and some light snickering. Raph shrugged.

"Just trying to make sure you didn't eat the TV before April got here. There's a movie I wanna watch tonight."

The turtles' human companion simply watched in confusion as the two brothers wrestled on the floor before shrugging and leaving to find at least someone willing to take the foul smelling pizza she'd had to pick up off her hands.

* * *

A/N: This is the last request from tumblr. The requester didn't realize I was looking to practice romance, so I got to end it with some good ol' Raph and Mikey brotherly fluff - never a bad way to go out! Now, on to my Halloween project!


	15. Drabble 11: Young Enough to Die

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. AU since "The Pulverizer". Takes place after "The Deadly Venom".

**Drabble 11: Young Enough to Die**

Rating: K+

Genre: Angst

Characters: Leo, Splinter

.

_"Master Splinter... what did you just do?"_

_"It is a technique known as the 'healing hands'. Would you like me to teach it to you?"_

After his first lesson, Leonardo had felt unsettled. Despite living with Master Splinter their entire lives, not one of the four brothers had ever seen their sensei use such a mystical technique before. Not that he was aware of, anyway. Donatello and Michelangelo had assured him they'd never witnessed such a thing, but it's not as if he could ask Raphael. He'd been dead over a year now, falling prey to Fishface's venomous bite in their first battle.

It was curious to him why all of a sudden Splinter had chosen to use the technique directly in front of him. Even beyond that, his sensei had instantly offered to guide him in mastering it. Leo hadn't even bothered to ask. It had felt almost as if the show had been deliberate, like the ninja master had decided that now was the exact time he wished for his pupil to learn the "healing hands" and not a moment sooner.

He had not had long to contemplate the thought before Mr. O'Neil suddenly burst in with April in his arms, screaming that she'd been bitten by a snake. Donnie had quickly confirmed that a deadly venom was coursing through her veins, but none of his typical concoctions and tricks seemed to be working. It was then that Master Splinter had offered to help, asking Leo to bring April into the next room, away from all of the monitors and scientific equipment. Ignoring the protests from her skeptical father, the young apprentice did as he was told.

Father and son performed the "healing hands", just like he'd been taught hours earlier. Something itched at the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside, his full focus on the dying girl in front of him. And after agonizing minutes that may as well have been an eternity, April at last took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

That was two days ago.

Now Leonardo's hands were balled into tight fists as he practically ran through the lair and toward his sensei's private room. He had scratched the itch, and the floodgates it had opened rained emotions down on him like he hadn't felt in over a year. It was these raw emotions that carried him to Splinter's room and caused him to shove the sliding door open roughly without any trace of his normal polite demeanor. The surprise in his father's eyes only helped fuel his rage.

"Why did you only teach it to me now!?"

As understanding and sadness fell upon Master Splinter's face, Leo nearly did the unthinkable. But instead of laying his hands on his sensei, he instead grasped the small table before him and upended it, scattering the incense and various other odds and ends on top of it about the small room.

"You could have taught it to me a year ago! Two years ago!" He viciously kicked the nearby lamp, shattering the dim bulb, leaving only the light streaming in from the dojo. "You knew a technique that could have saved us while we were out fighting ninjas and aliens and monsters, but you hid it from us! You kept it a secret! You let us risk our lives while you sat here safe and sound, withholding a technique you knew could help bring us all home safely!"

Leonardo was practically gasping for breath after his outburst, tears streaming down his face. His knuckles were white and shaking violently, and though his knees wanted to buckle and send him to the ground in a defeated heap, he refused to do anything but stand tall. He grit his teeth as a choked sob sounded from his throat.

"Raphael is dead because I didn't know how to help him." His voice hitched, ashamed of his failure. "But you did. The 'healing hands' removed the venom from April's body. It could have done the same for Raph. If you had just..."

He had to pause as memories of his now long dead brother pushed to the surface. The way his green eyes had glazed over, staring blankly up at him as the fire once behind them went out for the last time, haunted his nightmares. More sobs hung in the otherwise silent room as he tried to compose himself. But even after several minutes, all he could manage to croak out was a single word.

_"Why?"_

Looking down at the floor, Master Splinter's voice cracked as he spoke.

"I did not want the four of you to rely on such a technique, thinking yourselves invincible as I would always be here to heal your wounds. I wanted for you to be independent. I had hoped that you would gain valuable experience and grow not only as ninja but as individuals. And so I kept it from you, as a lesson, until the time was right."

In the near darkness, tears glistened on the ninja master's fur, but Leonardo barely noticed.

"Was it worth it?"

He didn't care that the words were spat as if they were deadly as the venom that had taken his brother at the young age of fifteen. All he knew was that Raphael had died needlessly because their father was willing to train them to take a life but equally unwilling to teach them how to save one. All to instill a lifelong lesson, no matter how short the life of the ones learning it may be.

Splinter's voice was broken and barely above a whisper when his answer finally fell from his lips.

_"No."_

* * *

A/N: Got into a friendly debate with Dragonflyonbreak, and suddenly I just HAD to write this one! Popped it out in about two hours late last night, so I hope it still holds up for fully awake folks. Thanks for the burst of inspiration!


	16. Drabble 12 Deleted 03: Short Raphril AUs

There was a "3 sentence fanfic challenge" over on tumblr, and I was sent AU settings for the Raphril pairing. I was in the mood to flood tumblr with as much Raphril as possible, so this helped further that cause. I had a lot of fun with this, so I thought I'd upload them all here as well.

* * *

**Setting: **SAINW  
**Requester:** clownyprincess  
**Notes:** Based on the 2012 characters. After Donnie went missing, Shredder and the Kraang teamed up to take over the city. The Turtles' relationships aren't nearly so strained as in the 2003 version.  
**Rating: **T - one mild curse and mentions of blood

April shoved the cleanest rag she could find toward the deep, bleeding cut over Raphael's left eye and cried, "You've got to get out of here - if that gets infected - "

"If Mikey can fight with one arm, I sure as hell can fight missing an eye - there's no way I'm leaving you here," he snapped as he shoved the rag under his mask to keep it in place before reaching out and gently stroking her dirt streaked cheek as laser blasts sounded all around them. " Wherever you go, I go, too."

* * *

**Setting:** my "Young Enough to Die" drabble AU  
**Requester:** rosyoreo  
**Notes:** Spoilers for my fic, obviously, but it's revealed fairly early on that Raph died to Fishface's bite at the end of "The Pulverizer".  
**Rating:** K+

"He's… what…?" said April, feeling as if all the air had been instantly sucked out of the room as she stared at the all too still body of Raphael as he lay on Donatello's examination table, his brothers and father gathered around with tears streaming down their faces. She slowly walked over to him and lay a shaky palm on his cold, lifeless hand, flinching at how unnatural it felt to her touch. Tears sprung from her own eyes; she'd never even had the chance to tell him how she felt.

* * *

**Setting: **Mutants are accepted in the world; they meet where April is working in a bar.  
**Requester: **anon  
**Notes: **Everything I know about bars is from TV - you have been warned!  
**Rating: **K+

"Ugh, seriously, guys, stop drooling all over her; she's an actual living person, not just one more thing for you two to fight about!" sighed Raph as Donnie and Casey shot him death glares while angrily turning away from the barmaid and back to their drinks.

April had dealt with her fair share of overzealous men and mutants before, but as she was always grateful for a little help in that department, she quietly topped off the red banded turtle mutant's glass and said, "Are they always like this?"

Glancing down at his glass, he picked it up and nodded to her appreciatively before taking another swig and replying with a grin, "You have no idea."

* * *

**Setting: **April is the experienced ninja and Raph is just learning.  
**Requester: **anon  
**Rating: **T - suggestive themes

"Seriously, Raph, are you even trying?" teased April as she watched the mutant turtle mess up the new kata he was attempting to learn for at least the 12th time. She casually walked up behind him, took his hands in her own, and moved them to where they should have been before using her own leg to gently push his out into a wider stance, a coy grin on her face as she whispered directly into his ear, "like this."

Raphael's heart was pounding as he felt her warm body pressed up against his like it had been on so many failed attempts before, and he vaguely wondered exactly how many more times she was going to let him get away with this until she threatened to stop training him.

* * *

**Setting: **April is the scientist in charge of learning about these strange new specimens.  
**Requester: **anon  
**Rating: **T - slight creepiness

"Please, you gotta let us out - you've been talking to me for months now so you know better than anyone that we don't belong in here, just - " the giant, mutant turtle with the startling green eyes put his hands against the glass of his cramped prison and spoke to her in that soft, gentle way she only ever heard him speak to the other subjects - his brothers, " - _April_, please."

Hearing him address her by her first name, a secret she had inadvertently revealed in one of their more intimate sessions, her pulse raced, and she reached a hand up to touch the glass separating his hand from hers. She locked her gaze with his, sorrow knit across her brow, and shook her head as she replied, "I'm sorry, Raphael, but this is the only way we can be together, and I can't lose you."


	17. Drabble 13: Agape

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Turtles are 10 years old.

**Drabble 13: Agape**

Rating: K

Genre: Family

Characters: Raph, Leo

.

"You sure you don't want us to wait for you, Raph?" called Mikey as he bounded up the stairs toward the turnstiles, skateboard in tow. Upon reaching the top where Donnie, carrying his own skateboard, and Master Splinter stood, he turned back. "You love when Sensei lets us ride in the sewer tunnels!"

Game controller in hand and tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration, Raph shook his head. "Nah. You guys go. I'm gonna beat'im for sure this time!"

Mikey and Donnie shared a knowing smile as they turned to follow their sensei into the tunnels. With an excited wave of his hand, the youngest leapt over the turnstiles and shouted, "Ok! Don't have too much fun without us!"

"You've never once beaten me at this game."

Raph snorted in defiance, narrowing his eyes. "Just you watch, _Lamenardo_! I'm gonna kick your butt so hard, you'll have a harder time sitting than you do walking!"

Despite his situation, Leo couldn't keep the smile off of his face. He glanced down at the broken leg keeping him from joining his younger siblings in the excitement of sewer tunnel skateboarding then over at Raph who, despite being the picture of health and always excited to get out of the lair, sat next to him playing a game he was absolutely terrible at.

He turned his attention back to the game, his smile never wavering. Maybe he'd let Raph finally win for a change.

Maybe.

* * *

A/N: A little A Team to try and help cheer someone up in the only way I know how.


	18. Drabble 14: 3 Sentence Fics

Another "3 sentence fanfic challenge" I heard about on tumblr. I had people pick from 50 different words and then they sent me two characters (from 1987, 1990, 2007, and/or 2012) and an (optional) genre, and I wrote something using them. I completed half of them, and these are my personal favorites, so I decided to put them here as well.

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **2012 April and Leo  
**Requester:** xxnerdfighterxx  
**Notes:** The song used is "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen.  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating: **K

**"Sing"**

Bobbing slightly to the music in her head as she scrubbed the dirty dishes from breakfast, April's voice drifted through the farmhouse as she enjoyed the blissfully calm moment, " - hang out if you're down to get down tonight, 'cause it's always a good time!"

"Good morning and good night!"

Startled by the sudden baritone coming from behind her, the red head whirled around, and upon seeing Leonardo leaning on his crutch and flashing her an amused smirk, she instantly sang the next line, grinning as he joined her and her solo became a duet.

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **1987 Donatello and Irma  
**Requester:** rosyoreo  
**Genre:** Humor  
**Rating: **K

**"Hide"**

"How on earth did I end up in this mess?" asked Donatello with a sigh.

"Well, you see, I was on my way to find April to tell her about the break in when I saw the two men responsible for all the pepperoni heists in town running toward me, so I hid in this janitor's closet, but then I realized it was locked, and I couldn't get out so I started pounding on the door and screaming for help until you showed up, but the thieves must have heard me too because they came up behind you and pushed you in before I could warn you, and then you tried to pull out that little device of yours to call for help, but you dropped it, and - "

"Ok, ok," interrupted the impatient turtle as he squirmed, Irma uncomfortably close in the tiny closet, and tried to crane his neck over her shoulder and search the floor, "just help me find my Turtle Com so we can get out of here!"

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **2012 Raph and Splinter  
**Requester:** mesacat13  
**Notes:** Set after "Clash of the Mutanimals"  
**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort  
**Rating: **T - dark themes

**"Safe"**

All he could see was red, red covering the walls, the floor, his chest, his hands, but, most importantly, red covering the three bodies that lay at his feet, deep cuts crisscrossing all over them made by the very gauntlets attached to his arms, and as he looked up from the carnage below, his eyes locked with those of the man he now called Master. His heart pounded in his chest and his limbs began to tremble as the reality of what he'd just done, what he'd just been _forced _to do, crashed down upon him, and as cruel words spilled from his new master, praising him for his obedience, a job well done, he opened his mouth and screamed until a comforting warmth suddenly enveloped him and his eyes flew open.

Tears were streaming down Raphael's face, his breathing ragged, but as he began to recognize the warmth as that of familiar arms wrapped around him, gently stroking his head and shell, he noticed he was in his own bed, his three living, breathing brothers staring at him with worried expressions from the doorway, and Master Splinter whispering softly in his ear, the same words over and over, "It is alright, my son - you are safe."

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **2012 Karai and Mikey  
**Requester:** beautyandharm0ny  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating: **K

**"Drive"**

"Is that really the best you can do!?" shouted Karai with a triumphant smirk as she zoomed her go cart - _patrol buggy _\- past Mikey whose cart she'd managed to bump just enough that he'd have to swerve wildly to avoid crashing into a parked car.

Her confidence was short-lived, however, as she rounded a corner only to find the fearless turtle racing along the sidewalk to ensure an inside lane, shouts of "BOOYAKASHA!" and "See you at the finish line!" reaching her ears as he reclaimed his spot in front with a teasing wave.

"Oh, this isn't over yet," she said as she pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, a wild grin on her lips as she pictured the look of horror that would certainly cover Leo's face when she and Mikey finally returned to the lair and retold the events of their race through the streets of New York that she'd easily talked the young turtle into.

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **2012 Casey and 1987 Casey  
**Requester:** Diporae  
**Genre:** Humor  
**Rating: **K

**"Time"**

With the Kraang hot on their tails as the teenaged Casey Jones raced the Turtle Van through the streets of New York City, one would think that the reason he suddenly screamed and nearly jumped from the driver's seat was obvious, but one look at the bat that came inches away from smashing his fingers against the steering wheel proved otherwise.

The older Casey Jones leaned in toward the younger and stared at him through eye slits in a mask that, as far as anyone knew was probably glued to his face, and said in a gruff, menacing voice, "Driving in the bus lane is illegal."

Jerking the wheel hard enough to make the tires screech, the teenager did a quick zig zag, sending the vigilante sliding to the other side of the vehicle, and as a fresh wave a Kraang laser beams rained down on them, he yelled, "IS THIS REALLY THE TIME FOR THAT!?"

* * *

**Characters/Universes: **2007 Don and Raph  
**Requester:** anon  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Rating: **K+

**"Ghost"**

"…if you would just help out more around here - " but Donatello was, as usual, cut off as his short tempered brother threw the television remote across the room - destroying the third one this month - and slammed his fist against the brick walls as a string of curses were spat from his mouth and he stormed out of the lair. As the weeks since Leo stopped writing to them crawled by, living with Raphael had become like living with a ghost, an angry poltergeist that would only show itself for short periods of time and always filled their home with yelling and the sounds of something breaking.

Don gazed at the cracked remote spilling its guts on the floor with a tired and mournful sigh, wishing he were able to repair his broken family as easily as he could the small device, but he knew that task was beyond him, and the only person capable of such a thing was thousands of miles away.


End file.
